Gatsby : Tom Buchanan Flashcards
Tom
• represents the patriarchal views and toxic masculinity
•“I’m stronger and more of a man than you are”
• “arrogant” and “aggressive”
• proud, boastful and possessive over belongings and people
• his clothes can’t hide his cruel body just as money can’t hide his brutish and cruel intentions
• physically powerful
• wealthy (old money) and educated (Yale with Nick)
• “fractiousness” - always looking for trouble
• “parental contempt”
• his mannish and stereotypical ‘man’ description links him with a ‘father’
• head of the household, manager of the money
• sees himself as more grown up just because he’s physically bigger
• dominant
• sees himself as in charge
• treats others as childish and beneath him
• “turning me around with one arm”
• physically overpowering
• that’s Daisy as a ‘silly little girl’
Tom and Daisy’s mansion is described as a “Georgian colonial mansion”
• Shows Tom’s enormous wealth
• “colonial” suggests that Tom’s family colonised the area, hence why he’s old money
• It also has connotations of war and power, perhaps suggesting Tom is powerful and doesn’t give up when he wants something (e.g. Daisy)
• In a sense, Tom also colonises Daisy and doesn’t let anyone else near her without a fight (he stops Gatsby having her by telling Myrtle’s wife it was Gatsby who killed Myrtle)
• “Georgian” also suggests his wealth, specifically that it is old money
“Tom Buchanan in riding clothes was standing with his legs apart on the front porch.”
• This is a very dominant stance
• It shows how Tom doesn’t just take up space physically, but also emotionally
• Daisy can’t say she never loved Tom because he takes up such a large part in her life – he’s so controlling and dominant he could’ve done this on purpose
Tom is arrogant
“Impression of factitiousness.”
• Almost as if he wants to start fights (e.g. with Gatsby)
• Picks on Daisy
“Two shining arrogant eyes.”
• Even his eyes reveal to people that he’s arrogant
• He can’t escape people knowing he’s arrogant
• The adjective ‘shining’ almost contradicts his personality as there is nothing bright and positive about him
“Supercilious manner.”
• Treats Daisy like a silly little girl
• patriarchal society of the 1920s
The description of his body
“Body capable of enormous leverage – a cruel body.”
• Foreshadowing to hitting Myrtle?
• His body is also dominant and quite intimidating to someone like Nick (smaller)
“Enormous power of that body.”
• Repetition of “enormous” is Fitzgerald really emphasising that Tom is huge, perhaps to intimidate readers and show the difference between Gatsby and Tom
“[Tom] is one of those men who reach such an acute limited excellence at such a young age that everything afterwards savours anti-climax.”
• Tom’s life now is so boring compared to when he played football
• Nothing is exciting to him anymore
• Could this be why he is so horrible to Daisy?
• This could also be a reason for his affair with Myrtle
• to add some excitement into his life
• is Myrtle is more likely to conform to the patriarchal society (meaning she worships Tom) so this is why he is sleeping with Myrtle because he wants someone he can control because Daisy is less likely to conform to society
“Civilisation’s going to pieces,” broke out Tom violently. “Have you read ‘The Rise of the Coloured Empires’ by this man Goddard?…
“… it’s a fine book, and everyone ought to read it. The idea is if we don’t look out the white race will be – utterly submerged. It’s all scientific stuff; it’s been proved.”
• Tom’s book talks about how coloured people are taking over society.
• This speaks to Tom’s insecurities.
• Even though he was born into incredible money and privilege, there’s a fear it could be taken away by social climbers.
•The insecurity only translates into even more overt shows of his power – flaunting his relationship with Myrtle, revealing Gatsby as a bootlegger, and manipulating George to kill Gatsby – thus completely freeing the Buchanan’s from any consequences from the murders.
“Don’t believe everything you hear, Nick.”
• Early in the book, Tom advises Nick not to believe rumours and gossip, but specifically what Daisy says about him and their marriage.
• Nick is certainly wary of most people he meets, and, indeed he sees through Daisy in chapter 1 when he observes she has no intentions of leaving Tom despite her complaints: “Their interest rather touched me and made them less remotely rich – nevertheless, I was confused and a little disgusted as I drove away. It seemed to me that the thing for Daisy to do was to rush out of the house, child in arms – but apparently there were no such intentions.”
• As the book goes on, Nick drops some of his earlier scepticism as he comes to learn more about Gatsby and his life story, coming to admire him despite his status as a bootlegger and criminal.
• This leaves us with an image of Tom as cynical and suspicious in comparison to the optimistic Gatsby – but perhaps also more clear-eyed than Nick is by the end of the novel
‘Rise of the Colored Empires’
Based on real book → ’The Rising Tide of Color’ published in 1920
